are there portable air purifiers which kill or filter H5N1 and which can be used instead of masks ?
no. Since you have no control on what air is “pure” it will not be comparable. But if you are locking for a way to clean air, and lover the virus load/risk, a lot of things work. A hotfan oven vill purify the air, so wil aircleaners that uses UVC light, Ozon machines has been mentioned, but may have som bad health efects, and even tanning lamps may work on a longer timespan. Then there is filters that will trap viruses that rides on dust (hepa filters).. (making the filter high risk material.)
in the realy old days during the plagues etc, smoke was used. Smoke from juniper was a good advise and may have some sci in it.. Totaly smoking down the rooms of ships was used to kill anything onboard, but then no humans could use the rooms during the proces… I recomend bleach instead. Removing dust and keep anything clean is a very important thing to do all the time, A lot of fresh air and sunlight is also good.
True HEPA filtration will filter air and remove a lot of bad stuff and would likly reduce viral ladden particles in a sick room. They are relatively expensive and require regular filter changes to remain effective. Wouldn’t be a bad idea for SIP if/when the time comes. They would not be a “repacement” for masks or respirators though.
I mean, portable units just to filter or purify the air which you breath without having to wear masks. You breath through some snorkel and a tube attached to the device, which you wear on your back.
what you are talking about is called a PAPR (powered air purifying respirator). They are most commonly found as a full face respirator. HEPA level filter canisters are in the $40+ range and would be replaced daily ±.
http://www.approvedgasmasks.com/fr2000-scba.htm
Many of these “advanced” respirators have had availability problems.
yes, thsnks for the link. But $500 is too expensive. I was thinking at a device suitable for mass-usage and a real alternative to masks. The most simple such device would be a snorkel as you can get for a few $ in a swimming/diving shop with a closed tube of N95-material attached to the end of the snorkel-tube.
Then that N95-end-tube should have a screw cap and the snorkel tube should be partly flexible and with screw tab too and you should be able to screw multiple N95 or N100 or UV or heating or whatever intermediate pieces into the snorkel tube. Also maybe a powering intermediate piece to ease breathing, but only as an option. The air could also be sucked in by mechanical hand-pumping or by mechanical energy just transferred from walking. Many possibilities to improve it. Also the snorkel-head-piece can be attached to the mouse, the nose or as a half-mask as in the picture from your link. The low pressure could be preserved through exhaling by some ventil, so the device would also suck and filter when exhaling. Or the exhaled air could be stored in some balloon and reused several times.
But the basic device should just be a small tube with an attached N95-filter worn on your shoulder or back. (IMO) This could be very cheap and leaves much room for intermediate pieces for improvement. E.g. just 2 N95-pieces should be safer and cheaper than one N100-piece.
In response to the discussion about Hepa filters there is a company that has a positive (safe room) and negative (quarantine room) multipurpose air filtration unit (which utilizes Hepa filters) and ultraviolet light or shower decontamination kits.
The air filtration and decontamination kit is sold with a vinyl glove bag, with sterilized gloves built into the bag, so there is no break in the containment. The bag is taped to the air filtration unit then the bag is folded down. The filter is dropped into the bag. That bag is placed into another bag, both bags are crimped and taped.
In plain english the standard procedure for removing a filter is to enclose the particular filter you plan to replace by taping the glove bag to the air filtration unit. Then insert your hands into the gloves, remove the filter with in the bag and let it drop into the far end of the glove bag. Fold the glove bag as close as you possibly can to the outlet where you have removed the filter. Then crimp the bag at that point, crimp it again with a double crimp and use duct tape to wrap the complete perimeter of this crimped area as tight as you possibly can. Remove the initial duct tape you used to secure the bag to the outlet of the air filtration unit and put the whole glove bag with the filter inside of it in another disposable safety bag. Then seal the second bag as per manufacturer’s instructions, i.e. crimp and tape.
The decontamination chamber acts as an airlock (with an airlock you are no longer letting outside air in) inside or outside the doorway of the room you want to secure. The ultraviolet light decontamination chamber also has an air filtration unit on the top panel or roof. This ultraviolight, air lock decontamination unit will by itself secure a 200 SF room. Model #UV1. www.birdflusaferoom.com It’s something to think about. Hope this helps.
$1270
If you’re talking about your house check out germicidal lamps. There are pricey versions but low tech is described in Current events flu clinic. Order the bulb, put it into flourescent light fixture and put near air intake valves or over doorway etc. My bulb arrived in mail, it hooked into one of three fixtures I found at a yard sale, took the grill off my air intake area to AC, mounted it to wall, plugged it in, and my circulating air is being treated for less than thirty bucks. You must have uvc bulb with 254 nanonmeters. I haven’t rigged it to be battery powered but I will try that next. Put germicidal lamps in search engine at current events Exypatriot I think discussess it.
Leo7- Thanks for the specs on the tube. How do you create adequate “exposure time” required to inactivate when air is moving so quick through your air system. Maybe I got the picture wrong?
me above, sorry
MAV in Col:
I’m not certain about the exposure time, nor was it mentioned because the light stays on all the time. I assummed it’s a germicidal light and kills on contact. Some cleaning companies even have these in hand wands you wave over a desk etc. On the the web sites there are lights you can buy that install in the return air ducts where a person isn’t going to see the light, but are expensive. I positioned the light to shine from one side to the other. Some systems may need more than one, or put one before and after the filter. The light stays on continously and as you know the same air circulates continously. The bulb lasts about a year. I’m thinking about placing another one but I’m waiting to see how it works. I found several good studies about using the UV light for allergies etc. I will have to report back later—it’s only been in less than 24 hours.
the stuff I have read indicated that a ceiling mounted UV would be effective with the more infective “naked” virus particle mode of transmission, that they would remain airborn-thus longer UV exposure. The heavier virus particles contained in sputum dropplets would theoretically need longer exposure in order to dessicate the dropplet and virus particles within. Also, the droplets will fall out of the air quicker and be further from a ceiling mounted UV- thus much less effective on droplet transmission.
I think the kill formula is: Time of UV exposure x UV concentration (proximity to light source)
Hope this makes sense